Storage and picking system and picking method having improved transfer of goods between two storage areas

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an order-picking method for picking at least one ordered good (26a) into or onto a target loading aid (30), in which goods (21a . . . 21e) which are stored in a first storage zone (8) with the help of first loading aids (27a . . . 27c) are reloaded, on the basis of a transfer request, from a first loading aid (27a . . . 27c) into or onto at least one second loading aid (29a . . . 29c) and in-fed in a second storage zone (16). When a picking order is obtained, (an) ordered good(s) (26a) is/are out-fed from the second storage zone (16) and loaded into or onto the target loading aid (30). During an execution of the transfer request, the first loading aid (27a . . . 27c) is fully or partially unloaded, depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to a type of good reaches a threshold value. Further, a storage and order-picking system (1) for carrying out said method is specified.

The invention relates to an order-picking method for picking at least one ordered good into or onto a target loading aid. In this process, goods of different types of good are in-fed into a first storage zone with the help of first loading aids, which respectively receive a plurality of goods, wherein the totality of the types of good in-fed in the first storage zone corresponds to a line of goods available. Further, a transfer request for rearranging multiple transfer goods of a type of good from the first storage zone into a second storage zone when the goods of this type of good are low in stock in the second storage zone is generated. On the basis of the transfer request, the transfer goods are reloaded from a first loading aid into or onto at least one second loading aid, and the at least one second loading aid is transported into the second storage zone. In another step, a picking order for picking the at least one ordered good is obtained, and the at least one ordered good required for this picking order is ascertained. On the basis of the picking order, the at least one ordered good is out-fed from the second storage zone and loaded into or onto the target loading aid.

Further, the invention relates to a storage and order-picking system for picking at least one ordered good into or onto a target loading aid, which comprises a first storage zone for storing goods of different types of good with the help of first loading aids, in which a plurality of goods are respectively receivable. Further, the storage and order-picking system has a second storage zone for storing the goods of different types of good with the help of second loading aids, as well as a warehouse computer for generating a transfer request for rearranging multiple transfer goods of a type of good from the first storage zone into the second storage zone when the goods of this type of good are low in stock in the second storage zone. Furthermore, the storage and order-picking system comprises (a) first conveying device(s) for out-feeding the first loading aids with the transfer goods from the first storage zone on the basis of the transfer request and (a) second conveying device(s) for in-feeding the second loading aids with the transfer goods into the second storage zone on the basis of the transfer request and for out-feeding at least one ordered good. In addition, the storage and order-picking system has a reloading station, to which the first conveying device(s) and the second conveying device(s) are coupled and which enables the reloading of the transfer goods, on the basis of the transfer request, from a first loading aid into or onto a second loading aid provisioned there. Further, the storage and order-picking system comprises an order-processing computer for acquiring an order for picking at least one ordered good and for ascertaining the ordered good(s) required for this picking order. Finally, the storage and order-picking system comprises a picking station, to which the second conveying device(s) is/are coupled and which enables the reloading, on the basis of the picking order, of the at least one ordered good from a second loading aid into or onto a target loading aid provisioned there.

Such methods and storage and order-picking systems are known, in principle, from the prior art. It is disadvantageous here that a first loading aid, during the execution of a transfer execution, is fully or partially unloaded depends on whether the same number of goods are coincidentally stored in the first loading aid as were requested by the transfer request, or more goods than were requested using the transfer request. Accordingly, a possible return conveying back into the first storage zone of a remaining quantity remaining in the first loading aid also depends on whether the same number of goods are coincidentally stored in the first loading aid as were requested by the transfer request, or more goods than were requested by the transfer request. The processes running between the first storage zone and the second storage zone are therefore difficult to plan and foresee.

It is therefore an object of the invention to specify an improved order-picking method and an improved storage and order-picking system. In particular, the processes running between the first storage zone and the second storage zone are to be easier to plan and foresee.

The object of the invention is achieved with an order-picking method of the kind mentioned at the beginning, in which the first loading aid, during the execution of the transfer request, is fully or partially unloaded (and after the execution of the transfer request is in a fully or partially unloaded state), depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to a type of good reaches (and/or falls below or rises above) a threshold value.

Here, the steps of the specified method may run in an automatic and/or automated manner. In particular, all steps of the specified method may run in an automatic and/or automated manner.

Advantageously, the first loading aid is conveyed, in this process, with the transfer goods, on the basis of the transfer request, from the first storage zone to a reloading station and provisioned at a first reloading supply position of the reloading station. Afterwards, the transfer goods are reloaded into or onto at least one second loading aid, which is provisioned at a second reloading supply position of the reloading station.

The object of the invention is also achieved with a storage and order-picking system of the kind mentioned at the beginning, in which the warehouse computer or the reloading station is configured to control the full or partial unloading of the first loading aid of the execution of the transfer request, depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to a type of good reaches (and/or falls below or rises above) a threshold value.

Accordingly, the fact that a first loading aid is fully or partially unloaded during the execution of a transfer execution does not depend on whether the same number of goods are coincidentally stored in the first loading aid as were requested by the transfer request, or more goods than were requested using the transfer request, but on whether or not said threshold value is reached. Accordingly, a possible return conveying back into the first storage zone of a remaining quantity of goods remaining in the first loading aid equally does not depend on whether the same number of goods are coincidentally stored in the first loading aid as were requested by the transfer request, or more goods than were requested by the transfer request. Rather, the full unloading of the first loading aid and a return storing back into the first storage zone associated with it, if applicable, of a remaining quantity of goods remaining in the first loading aid is done in a deterministic manner. The processes running between the first storage zone and the second storage zone are therefore easier to plan and foresee than this is the case in the prior art.

In particular, a probability P for a full unloading of the first loading aid (or a group of first loading aids, e.g. a group which is involved in a transfer request) fits the constraint

$P > \frac{1}{n_{Waren}}$

wherein n_(Waren) specifies the number of goods being stored in or on this (these) first loading aid(s).

In more general terms, this means

$P > {\frac{k}{n_{Waren}}k} \geq {1\left( {{{z.B.k} = 1},1} \right)}$

therefore, for example:

$P > \frac{1,1}{n_{Waren}}$

The above constraints describe a full unloading of the first loading aid that is targeted and not dependent on coincidence. Here, the parameter k specifies the degree of the full unloading of the first loading aid that is targeted and not dependent on coincidence.

It is also advantageous if a probability P for a full unloading of the first loading aids that are used for storing the line of goods fits the constraint

$P > \frac{n_{LHM1}}{n_{Waren}}$

wherein n_(LHM1) specifies the number of first loading aids used for storing the line of goods and n_(Waren) the number of goods being stored in or on these first loading aids.

In more general terms, this means:

$P > {{k \cdot \frac{n_{LHM1}}{n_{Waren}}}k} \geq {1\left( {{{z.B.k} = 1},1} \right)}$

wherein the parameter k specifies, once again, the degree of the full unloading of the first loading aid that is targeted and not dependent on coincidence.

It is further advantageous if a probability P for a full unloading of the first loading aid fits the constraint

$\frac{n_{LHM1vollst}}{n_{LHM1}} > {{k \cdot \frac{n_{LHM1}}{n_{Waren}}}k} \geq {1\left( {{{z.B.k} = 1},1} \right)}$

wherein n_(LHM1vollst) specifies the number of fully unloaded first loading aids (in a period of time t), n_(LHM1) specifies the number of first loading aids involved in a transfer request (in this period of time t) and n_(Waren) specifies the number of goods being stored in or on these first loading aids involved in a transfer request (in this period of time t). In this variant embodiment, reference is made to the reloading point (i.e. to the reloading station) and/or to the reloading operations actually performed. The period of time t should be selected to be sufficiently long, e.g. t=1 h or t=1 day.

Generally, goods in a “storage and order-picking system” may be delivered and accepted at a goods-in point, for example, and thereafter, if applicable, repacked and in-fed in a warehouse. The goods may also be picked in accordance with an order, i.e. out-fed from the warehouse, compiled into an order and provisioned for outbound transport at the goods-out point. In marked contrast to a manufacturing process, the goods are not substantially changed between goods-in point and goods-out point. Yet a small change in shape is possible, in particular in case of non-rigid bodies, such as pouches or bags, or in case of other yielding packaging made, for example, of cardboard or plastic.

“Goods” are generally objects of the trade in goods and are delivered at the goods acceptance zone and discharged to a customer at the goods transfer zone in accordance with an order. Goods which are allocated to an order are referred to within the scope of the invention as “ordered goods.” The allocation to an order can be done for goods already in storage or, in principle, even before.

“Transfer goods” are goods which are to be transferred in accordance with a transfer request from the first storage zone into the second storage zone and/or are actually transferred from the first storage zone into the second storage zone.

Within the scope of the invention, (a) “good(s),” “transfer good(s)” or (an) “ordered good(s)” is/are understood to mean in particular an individually-handleable object and/or an individually-handleable group of objects.

It should generally be noted that (a) “good(s),” (an) “ordered good(s)” and a “transfer good(s)” may be one and the same object at different points in time.

A “type of good” specifies the kind of (a) good(s). For example, “tagliatelle, 1 kg” or “mineral water 1 l” may be provided as the type of good. The type of good may in particular also comprise items of clothing. For example, “shirt, white, size 42” or “jeans, size 34/34” or “sock, black, size 43” may be provided as the type of good.

A “transfer request” or “rearrangement request” is a request or instruction to transfer multiple transfer goods of a type of good from the first storage zone into the second storage zone. Such a transfer or rearrangement request is generated when the goods of this type of good are low in stock in the second storage zone. In particular, the goods of this type of good are low in stock in the second storage zone whenever the number of the goods of this type of good stored in the second storage zone falls below a threshold value.

A “warehouse computer” serves to monitor the stock of the goods in the second storage zone and generates a transfer or rearrangement request when (a) good(s) of a specific type of good is low in stock in the second storage zone.

Within the scope of the invention, “rearranging” means the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) from the first storage zone and the in-feeding of this/these transfer good(s) into the second storage zone.

A “provisioning time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) from the first storage zone” is a measure for the period of time which elapses from the request to out-feed (a) transfer good(s) from the first storage zone to the point in time at which the respective transfer good(s) is/are actually provisioned at the reloading station.

An “order for picking ordered goods” (“picking order” in short) specifies the goods requested by a customer, at least with regard to number and type of good. For example, a picking order may comprise multiple order lines, which respectively contain the number and the type of good of (a) good(s) requested by the customer.

An “order-processing computer” serves to acquire an order and to execute same. For this purpose, the order-processing computer is in particular connected, in terms of control technology, to elements of the storage and order-picking system, in particular to the first and/or second conveying device(s) of the storage and order-picking system. The warehouse computer and the order-processing computer may also be configured as a joint warehouse and order-processing computer. In this case, the warehouse computer can be configured as a warehouse control unit and the order-processing computer as an order control unit. The warehouse control unit and/or order control unit can in particular be a part of a software which runs in a joint warehouse and order-processing computer, i.e. a subroutine, for example.

Within the scope of the invention, “picking” is to be understood to mean the compiling of ordered goods for a picking order, in the narrower sense the loading of a target loading aid with the ordered good(s).

“Slow-moving goods” are goods/ordered goods with a low rate of turnover and/or ordered goods which appear statistically less frequently in orders (picking orders) and are therefore not requested as often as fast-moving consumer goods.

“Fast-moving goods” are goods/ordered goods with a high rate of turnover and/or ordered goods which appear statistically frequently in orders (picking orders).

“Article-specific” means that the goods, or ordered goods, stored in a loading aid have the same type of good. For example, a loading aid contains the good(s)/ordered good(s) “A” and another loading aid contains the good(s)/ordered good(s) “B” etc. On the other hand, the loading aids may be subdivided into multiple receiving compartments by separating walls and receive different types of good, wherein (a) good(s)/ordered good(s) “A” may be received in the first receiving compartment and (a) good(s)/ordered good(s) “B” may be received in the second receiving compartment. The goods, or ordered goods, stored in a storage zone or in a loading aid in a “mixed” or “non-article-specific” manner, in contrast, have different types of good.

A “storage location” is an area in the storage and order-picking system in which (a) good(s) can be stored. A “storage zone” is an area in the storage and order-picking system which has a plurality of storage locations for storing the goods. For example, the storage zone may be configured as a fixed-installation or mobile storage rack which provisions a plurality of storage locations next to one another and above one another. Yet it is also conceivable that the storage zone is an area at the floor of the storage and order-picking system, which is provided and/or reserved for depositing and storing (a) good(s). Walk and travel zones are therefore not storage zones but may adjoin to same.

The “first storage zone” serves to store the first loading aids. In particular, only first loading aids, and no second loading aids, are stored there. For example, the first storage zone may be formed by shelf units and/or or by other holding spaces for the first loading aids, in particular by holding spaces at the floor. Conveying vehicles operated in an automated manner may be provided in the first storage zone for in-feeding and out-feeding first loading aids. A possible embodiment of such a first storage zone with storage locations and first conveying device(s) is known, for example, from WO 2016/033628 A1.

The “second storage zone” serves to store the second loading aids. In particular, only second loading aids, and no first loading aids, are stored there. For example, the second storage zone may be formed by overhead storage conveyors if the second loading aids are configured as hanging bags.

A “goods transfer zone” is to be understood to mean the area in which ordered goods are discharged from the storage and order-picking system, i.e. in particular a goods-out point.

A “goods acceptance zone” is to be understood to mean the area in which goods are introduced into the storage and order-picking system, i.e. in particular a goods-in point. In particular, goods carriers (e.g. pallets, cardboard boxes, etc.) which have been delivered can be separated in a manual or automated manner. This procedure is also referred to as “depalletizing.”

A “target loading aid” serves to receive the ordered goods during the picking process and may in particular be configured as a container, cardboard box, tray, pallet, bag (in particular a “polybag”), pouch, sack, hanging bag, suspended carrier or shelf unit. The target loading aid can in particular function as a “dispatch loading aid” and serve to transport ordered goods out of the storage and order-picking system. Yet the target loading aid can also function as an “interim loading aid”, in or on which ordered goods that have been picked and are intended for dispatching are interim-stored before being reloaded into or onto a dispatch loading aid.

A “first loading aid” serves to transport goods and/or transfer goods to, in and from the first storage zone. A first loading aid may be configured so as to be different from a hanging bag and/or different from a suspended carrier and have, in particular, one, or multiple, of the following properties:

-   -   A first loading aid is stored in the first storage zone standing         upright or lying down and transported on the first conveying         device(s) standing upright or lying down. Yet it would also be         conceivable, in principle, that a container-shaped loading aid         is transported suspended from an edge on container walls.     -   A first loading aid in the operating position has a width, depth         and height, wherein the following constraint is met:

width+depth>2·height.

-   -   A first loading aid is configured as a container, cardboard box,         tray, pallet or shelf unit.     -   A first loading aid has a rigid floor and/or rigid walls with an         elastic modulus>100 MPa.     -   A transport surface, at which the first loading aid is in         contact with the first storage zone or with the first conveying         device(s), in the operating position of the first loading aid is         arranged below the receiving plane and/or loading plane of the         first loading aid.     -   A first loading aid may be configured without a hook and is then         hookless and/or hook-free.

It should be noted in this context that not all first loading aids must have the same properties, but first loading aids may also be configured differently. In addition, first loading aids can have multiple receiving zones/receiving compartments.

If the second loading aid is configured as a hanging bag, it may in particular have one, or multiple, of the following properties:

-   -   A hanging bag is stored in the second storage zone suspended and         is transported on the second conveying device(s) suspended.     -   A hanging bag in a suspended state (operating position) has a         width, depth and height, wherein the following constraint is         met:

width+depth<2·height.

-   -   A hanging bag has a floor and/or walls made of flexible         material, preferably of a textile (textile fabric) or a foil         (plastic foil).     -   A supporting surface, at which the hanging bag is in contact         with the second storage zone, or with the second conveying         device(s), has a hook shape or bracket shape.     -   A supporting surface, at which the hanging bag is in contact         with the second storage zone, or with the second conveying         device(s), is configured roller-shaped and connected with a hook         or arm of the hanging bag.     -   A supporting surface, at which the hanging bag is in contact         with the second storage zone, or with the second conveying         device(s), in the operating position of the hanging bag is         arranged above the filling plane of the hanging bag.

In particular, a hanging bag comprises a front wall, a rear wall, a floor, a storing space limited by the front wall, the rear wall and the floor, and a loading opening and/or unloading opening configured at the hanging bag at a first side and limited by the front wall, the rear wall and the floor. The hanging bag may, at a second side, also have a side wall stop, against which the good(s) and/or the ordered good(s) of the second order line can be applied. In particular, the front wall, the rear wall and the floor may be formed as a single piece, for example by a length of fabric or woven cloth, which is mounted at an overhead conveyor/suspension rod at its upper end and forms a loop in the floor area. In a closed position, the front wall and the rear wall have only a small distance from each other, whereby the loading opening and unloading opening has a small surface area and the storing space of the hanging bag has a small volume. In the case of a length of fabric or woven cloth, its upper ends equally have only a small distance from each other, and the loop formed by the length of fabric or woven cloth is narrow. In the closed position, the good(s) and/or the ordered good(s) of the second order line can thus be stored and transported in a narrow space. In an open position, in contrast, the front wall and the rear wall have a large distance from each other, whereby the loading opening and unloading opening has a large surface area and the storing space of the hanging bag has a large volume. In the case of a length of fabric or woven cloth, its upper ends equally have a large distance from each other, and the loop formed by the length of fabric or woven cloth is wide. In the open position, the hanging bag is thus easy to load and unload. Such a hanging bag is disclosed, for example, in the German utility models DE 20 2017 106 993 U1, DE 20 2017 100 206 U1 or the Austrian patent application A 50320/2018.

It should also be noted in this context that not all second loading aids must have the same properties, but second loading aids may also be configured differently. For example, second loading aids may be configured as “suspended carriers” for hanging articles (e.g. coat hangers). These suspended carriers do not necessarily comprise a hanging bag, yet they may be arranged on the exterior or on the interior of the hanging bag. Such combined second loading aids, which comprise both a hanging bag and means for suspending a coat hanger, or even the coat hanger itself, can be used particularly universally. In addition, hanging bags may have multiple receiving zones/receiving compartments. Therefore, different second loading aids, in particular both hanging bags and suspended carriers for hanging articles (e.g. coat hangers), can be stored and transported in the second storage zone and on the second conveying device(s).

The “operating position” of a first or second loading aid is characterized in that goods are storable and transportable in it using the conveying device(s).

The “first conveying device(s)” serve(s) to transport the first loading aids. The “second conveying device(s)” serve(s) to transport the second loading aids (in particular hanging bags). The “third conveying device(s)” serve(s) to transport the target loading aids.

The “first conveying device(s)” and/or “second conveying device(s)” and/or “third conveying device(s)” may comprise (a) “fixed-installation conveying device(s)” and/or “autonomous conveying vehicles” and/or be made up of them.

For the transport of goods, “(a) fixed-installation conveyor(s)” require(s) permanently-integrated devices. For example, a lift requires a frame at which a lifting platform is moved. In contrast to this, the lifting platform alone is non-functional. (A) fixed-installation conveyor(s) is/are in particular characterized in that it/they cannot be extracted from the storage and order-picking system without loosening fastenings. (A) fixed-installation conveying device(s) is/are to be understood to mean, in particular, roller conveyors, belt conveyors, chain conveyors and suchlike. In contrast to this, an autonomous industrial truck can be extracted from the storage and order-picking system without loosening fastenings.

Within the scope of the invention, “conveying vehicles operated in an automated manner” are to be understood to mean self-propelled and/or driverless conveying vehicles for the transport of goods, which travel along permanently specified lanes or which are freely guided, i.e. without fixed track guidance. A fixed track guidance can be specified at the floor of the travel surface, for example with the help of optical color stripes, with magnetic strips, with marker tags or also with rails. A conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner has in particular a transport platform, on which the goods/ordered goods to be transported are received temporarily. Instead of the transport platform, or additionally to it, the conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner may also have a (telescopable) suspension rod and/or overhead conveyor for receiving hanging bags and/or suspended carriers. For example, the transport platform/suspension rod may be permanently affixed to the conveying vehicle, yet the transport platform/suspension rod may also be vertically and/or laterally movable relative to an underframe of the conveying vehicle, for example in order to be able to in-feed goods/ordered goods into a storage rack and out-feed them from the storage rack. Wheels, of which at least one is driven, are arranged at the underframe. Further, a conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner also comprises an electronic control for receiving commands by a superordinate control and for controlling/regulating the movements of the conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner.

A “storage-and-retrieval unit” is a conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner which travels on rails and may be configured as a single-level-storage-and-retrieval unit (also referred to as “shuttle”) or as a multi-level-storage-and-retrieval unit. For their operation, storage-and-retrieval units require elements of (a) fixed-installation conveying device(s) (namely the rails). For this reason, storage-and-retrieval units are, within the scope of the invention, counted among fixed-installation conveying device(s).

An “autonomous industrial truck” is a non-railborne conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner. At least one of the wheels is steerable, unless the autonomous conveying vehicle has wheels with which also a lateral movement can be executed (e.g. Mecanum wheels). An autonomous industrial truck also comprises sensors for capturing the environment of the industrial truck and for spatial orientation.

A “picking station” is a station and/or a zone or location at or in which ordered goods can be loaded into or onto a target loading aid. The picking station may have a picking control for controlling the picking process of the ordered goods. Yet it would also be conceivable that the picking process is controlled, alternatively or additionally, by the order-processing computer.

A “reloading station” is a station and/or a zone or location at or in which transfer goods can be reloaded from a first loading aid into or onto a second loading aid. The reloading station may have a reloading control for controlling the reloading process of the transfer goods. Yet it would also be conceivable that the reloading process is controlled, alternatively or additionally, by the warehouse computer.

An “unloading station” is a station and/or a zone or location at or in which delivered goods can be loaded into or onto a first loading aid. These goods may be delivered in bulk or be stored in or on delivery loading aids. The unloading station may have an unloading control for controlling the unloading process of the goods.

An unloading station, a reloading station and a picking station may respectively be configured for automatic, manual or mixed automatic/manual operation, wherein the manual operation may in particular be computer-aided. To that end, said stations may comprise various functional units, for example a robot, a tilting device for tilting a first or second loading aid at a supply position (e.g. for reasons of ergonomics), an unloading device for unloading a hanging bag and/or a device for opening and/or closing a hanging bag at a supply position. Further, a functional unit may be an output unit (e.g. a display or a voice output unit), an input unit (e.g. a keyboard, a touch display or a voice input unit) and/or a capturing unit (e.g. a scanner). Any combination of said functional units is, of course, possible.

In automatic or mixed automatic/manual operation, the robot and/or the tilting device can be instructed to execute a specific sequence of movements. In manual or mixed automatic/manual operation, a worker can be instructed with the help of the output unit to execute a specific process. The worker can offer feedback via the input unit and/or the capturing unit. The above-mentioned process is therefore done in a computer-aided manual manner Said functional units may be controlled by a control of the respective station, i.e. by the unloading control of the unloading station, the reloading control of the reloading station or the picking control of the picking station. Yet it would also be conceivable that said functional units are controlled, alternatively or additionally, by the warehouse computer and/or order-processing computer.

In “automatic” operation, e.g. a robot independently executes specified sequences of movement. In “automated operation,” a device can work, fully or partially, without human assistance. “Automated” operation may accordingly be automatic and/or computer-aided manual operation. In “computer-aided manual” operation, a worker receives instructions from a control and, if applicable, offers feedback to the control. In “mixed manual/automatic” operation, parts of a process are executed automatically (e.g. by a robot), other parts by a worker (e.g. in a computer-aided manual manner).

A “supply position” is generally a position at which a first loading aid, a hanging bag or a target loading aid is supplied and/or provisioned. At this position, a loading and/or unloading of the respective loading aid is possible. For example, the supply position may be formed by a stopping position for a first loading aid or a delivery goods carrier on (a) first conveying device(s), by a stopping position for a second loading aid on (a) second conveying device(s) or by a stopping position for a target loading aid on (a) third conveying device(s).

An “order-picking supply position” is therefore a supply position which is arranged at a picking station and/or forms part of same. A “reloading supply position” is therefore a supply position which is arranged at a reloading station and/or forms part of same. An “unloading supply position” is therefore a supply position which is arranged at an unloading station and/or forms part of same.

A “mobile shelf unit” is a movable shelf unit which is not fixed at a specific location. A mobile shelf unit may in particular comprise wheels for easier transport.

An “overhead conveyor” is a conveyor at which hanging bags can be stored and/or transported suspended. An “overhead storage conveyor” is therefore an overhead conveyor at which hanging bags can be stored suspended and which is in particular arranged in the second storage zone. An “overhead transport conveyor” is an overhead conveyor via which hanging bags can be transported suspended. A “mobile overhead storage conveyor” is a movable overhead conveyor which is not fixed at a specific location. A mobile overhead storage conveyor may in particular be structured similarly to a mobile shelf unit and equally have wheels for easier transport. If the supporting surface, at which the hanging bag is in contact with the overhead conveyor, is configured hook-shaped or bracket-shaped, the hook or bracket of the hanging bag glides along the overhead conveyor during transport. If the supporting surface, at which the hanging bag is in contact with the overhead conveyor, is configured roller-shaped, the roller of the hanging bag rolls along the overhead conveyor during transport. The same is true for suspended carriers.

A “sorting device” is a device with which goods, in particular ordered goods, can be brought into a specified or specifiable sequence.

Other advantageous designs and further developments of the invention become apparent from the dependent claims as well as from the description in combination with the figures.

It is advantageous if a setting to a partial or full unloading for a majority of types of good of the line of goods is maintained for a specified period of time, or for a specified number of transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good. Accordingly, a decision, once made, will be maintained for longer, whereby the probability for a full unloading of the first loading aid is increased. The longer said decision is maintained, the higher also said probability for the full unloading. The period of time may be, for example, 10 minutes, the number e.g. 10 transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good. For example, said setting may be done by the warehouse computer or the reloading station.

Yet it is also advantageous if a setting to a partial or full unloading for a type of good is maintained for a specified period of time or for a specified number of transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good. Also in this case, a decision, once made, will be maintained for longer, whereby the probability for a full unloading of the first loading aid is equally increased. However, the decision refers to a specific type of good, and not to a majority of types of good of the line of goods. The longer said decision is maintained, the higher, once again, said probability for the full unloading. Also in this variant, the period of time may be, for example, 10 minutes, the number e.g. 10 transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good. For example, said setting may be done, once again, by the warehouse computer or the reloading station.

It is furthermore advantageous if a setting to a partial or full unloading applies to all first loading aids which are required for the execution of a transfer request. If a transfer request relates to multiple first loading aids, all but one are fully unloaded. With regard to the remaining last first loading aid, the above setting applies. This means that the remaining last first loading aid is fully or partially unloaded during the execution of the transfer request, depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to a type of good reaches (and/or falls below or rises above) a threshold value. Alternatively, the above rule may also be defined as follows: order-picking method, in which a setting to a full unloading applies to all first loading aids which are required for the execution of a transfer request and a setting to a partial unloading applies to one of the first loading aids which are required for the execution of a transfer request. In any case, the full unloading of the first loading aid and a return storing back into the first storage zone associated with it, if applicable, of a remaining quantity of goods remaining in or on a first loading aid is done, again, in a deterministic manner, and not in a random manner. For example, said setting may be done, once again, by the warehouse computer or the reloading station.

In addition, it is of advantage if the parameter allocated to a type of good forms part of the group: rate of turnover of the type of good, rate of turnover of the type of good in the second storage zone, number of transfer goods of the type of good to be reloaded. The “rate of turnover of a type of good” specifies how many goods of the respective type of good are requested by an ordering entity and subsequently dispatched in a specific space of time. Often, the goods are categorized into “fast-moving consumer goods” and “slow-moving consumer goods.” Fast-moving consumer goods are therefore goods with a high rate of turnover, slow-moving consumer goods are goods with a low rate of turnover. The “number of reloadable transfer goods” specifies how many goods of a specific type of good are transferred from the first storage zone into the second storage zone during a transfer execution.

It is particularly advantageous if

-   -   the parameter allocated to a type of good is a rate of turnover         of a type of good (occurring in the second storage zone),     -   the threshold value is a rate-of-turnover threshold value, which         subdivides the line of goods into a share of types of good with         a high rate of turnover and a share of types of good with a low         rate of turnover, and     -   the first loading aid is fully unloaded (at all times) during         execution of a transfer request if the respective type of good         belongs to the share of the line of goods available with a high         rate of turnover which is above a rate-of-turnover threshold         value.

On the one hand, this advantageously results in the number of the reloading operations at the reloading station being kept relatively low for transfer goods with a high rate of turnover (fast-moving consumer goods), as either the requested number of transfer goods is reloaded from the first loading aid into or onto the second loading aid, or a higher number. On the other hand, the second storage zone is not overly strained by ordered goods with a low rate of turnover, which are only rarely requested by a customer (slow-moving consumer goods).

In the above context, it is particularly advantageous if the first loading aid, during execution of a transfer request,

-   i) is only fully unloaded if a target number of transfer goods to be     reloaded is larger than the number, or equal to the number, of the     goods located in the first loading aid, and -   ii) is partially unloaded if a target number of transfer goods to be     reloaded is smaller than the number of the goods located in the     first loading aid,     -   if the respective type of good in the cases i) and ii) belongs         to the share of the line of goods available with a low rate of         turnover which is below the rate-of-turnover threshold value.

Accordingly, the first loading aid is not always fully unloaded during execution of a transfer request if the respective type of good in the cases i) and ii) belongs to the share of the line of goods available with a low rate of turnover (slow-moving consumer goods) which is below the rate-of-turnover threshold value. Yet the first loading aid may be fully unloaded, also in this case, if a target number of transfer goods to be reloaded is (coincidentally) larger than the number of the goods located in the first loading aid, or equal to the number of goods located the in the first loading aid.

It is furthermore advantageous if the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of this type of good, number of the goods of this type of good in the second storage zone. In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged is higher in goods with a high rate of turnover (fast-moving consumer goods) than in goods with a low rate of turnover (slow-moving consumer goods). Accordingly, few reloading operations, measured against the number of transfer goods, take place at the reloading station for goods with a high rate of turnover, whereas many reloading operations, measured against the number of transfer goods, take place at the reloading station for goods with a low rate of turnover. Alternatively or additionally, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged can be determined by means of the number of the goods of this type of good in the second storage zone. In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged is high if the warehouse stock of the respective type of good (i.e. the number of the goods of the respective type of good) in the second storage zone is low. In contrast to this, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged is low if the stock level of the respective type of good in the second storage zone is high. In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged is determined by the warehouse computer.

According to another variant of the order-picking method, it is of particular advantage if

-   -   the parameter allocated to a type of good is a target number of         transfer goods of a type of good which is to be transferred from         the first storage zone into the second storage zone,     -   the threshold value is a rearrangement threshold value, from         which a first loading aid loaded with goods of said type of good         is fully unloaded,     -   a target number of transfer goods of the respective type of good         to be reloaded is determined for the transfer request,     -   the actual number of the actually reloaded transfer goods         corresponds to the target number if the target number is         smaller, or equal, to the rearrangement threshold value, and the         actual number of the actually reloaded transfer goods         corresponds to the total number of the goods located in the         first loading aid if the target number is above said         rearrangement threshold value and     -   (in the storage and order-picking system) at least one         rearrangement threshold value SW_(Umlager) referring or         convertible to the number of goods exists, for which the         following is true:

SW _(Umlager) <n _(Waren)−1

wherein n_(Waren) specifies the number of goods respectively being stored in or on these first loading aids.

In this embodiment of the order-picking method proposed, a first loading aid is fully unloaded whenever the target number is (coincidentally) close to the number of the goods being stored in the first loading aid. Accordingly, a minor and non-requested excess quantity of transfer goods is accepted into the second storage zone instead of return-storing these into the first storage zone. This prevents the first conveying device(s) from being excessively strained by the return storing of first loading aids into the first storage zone.

Here, the above-mentioned rule can be followed by the requesting or the executing system, i.e. by adequate specification by the warehouse computer or by checking the specification at the reloading station. If the rule is implemented by the reloading station, the warehouse computer need not have any information on the number of the goods being stored in the first loading aid. If, in contrast, the warehouse computer has information on the number of the goods being stored in the first loading aid, the above-mentioned rule can, in principle, also be carried out by the warehouse computer itself, whereby a strain, in terms of control technology, on the reloading station is reduced.

Generally, the rearrangement threshold value can be specified directly as a number of goods, yet the rearrangement threshold value could also be specified as a percentage. For the execution of the above-mentioned rule, the percentage rearrangement threshold value is multiplied by the respective number of the goods being stored in the first loading aid in order to obtain an absolute value for the rearrangement threshold value. Accordingly, a percentage rearrangement threshold value is an example of a rearrangement threshold value convertible to the number of goods.

It is advantageous in the above context if the target number is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of this type of good, number of the goods of this type of good in the second storage zone. In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged is higher in goods with a high rate of turnover (fast-moving consumer goods) than in goods with a low rate of turnover (slow-moving consumer goods). Accordingly, few reloading operations, measured against the number of transfer goods, take place at the reloading station for goods with a high rate of turnover, whereas many reloading operations, measured against the number of transfer goods, take place at the reloading station for goods with a low rate of turnover. Alternatively or additionally, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged can be determined by means of the number of the goods of this type of good in the second storage zone. In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged is high if the warehouse stock of the respective type of good (i.e. the number of the goods of the respective type of good) in the second storage zone is low. In contrast to this, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged is low if the stock level of the respective type of good in the second storage zone is high. In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods to be rearranged is determined by the warehouse computer.

It is advantageous if the rearrangement threshold value is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of the type of good, total capacity in the second storage zone, remaining capacity in the second storage zone, provisioning time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) from the first storage zone. In this way, the processes during the transfer of the transfer good(s) from the first into the second storage zone can be optimized.

In particular,

-   -   the rearrangement threshold value for a type of good with a         first rate of turnover is lower than for a type of good with a         smaller, second rate of turnover and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value for a second storage zone with         a first total capacity is lower than for a second storage zone         with a smaller, second total capacity and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value for a first remaining capacity         in the second storage zone is lower than for a smaller, second         remaining capacity in the second storage zone and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value for a first provisioning time         during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) from the first         storage zone is lower than for a shorter, second provisioning         time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) from the         first storage zone.

Here, it is also of advantage if

-   -   the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the rate of         turnover of the type of good increases and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the remaining         capacity in the second storage zone increases and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the provisioning         time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) from the         first storage zone increases, and vice versa.

It is advantageous if the creation and/or execution of a transfer request is done without reference to a picking order. In other words, the warehouse computer and order-processing computer can work independent of each other in terms of control technology and/or the transfer processes and the picking processes can run independent of one another in terms of control technology. The decoupling of these processes ensures that the complexity in terms of control technology can be advantageously decreased in the storage and order-picking system. It should be noted in this context that “independent in terms of control technology” does not mean “uninfluenced,” as the generation of a transfer request is, after all, influenced via the stock of the good(s) in the second storage zone, and therefore indirectly by the picking orders, which, in turn, affect the stock of the good(s) in the second storage zone, after all. Yet in this variant, not every picking order results necessarily and directly in a transfer request.

In another favorable variant of the order-picking method, a transfer request for rearranging multiple transfer goods of a type of good from a first loading aid into or onto at least one second loading aid is created when the number of the goods of this type of good in the second storage zone falls below a stock threshold value. This procedure ensures that a specific minimum number of goods of a specific type of good is in stock in the second storage zone at all times. Advantageously, the stock threshold value is set so as to enable a picking process of an average scope to be executed without a transfer request for goods of this type of good being required for this if the stock of goods of this type of good is above the stock-threshold value at the beginning of the picking process. In other words, the picking process can be executed without goods of this type of good having to be reloaded into the second storage zone.

In another variant of the order-picking method, the content of the first loading aid during execution of a transfer request is divided between multiple second loading aids. This ensures that the order-picking method can also be executed when the holding capacity (holding volume) of the second loading aids is small compared to the holding capacity (holding volume) of the first loading aids. The entire unloading process for a first loading aid may also relate to multiple transfer requests issued at separate times.

It is also favorable if one piece of (a) transfer good(s) is respectively reloaded into or onto one second loading aid each during the execution of a transfer request. In this way, a subsequent picking process can be simplified. On the one hand, this simplifies the picking process as such, i.e. the removal from the second loading aid, which has, in particular, a positive effect on the automated order-picking using a robot. If many goods are stored in or on a second loading aid, the selection and removal of a specific article by a robot is particularly challenging in terms of technology, after all. Furthermore, also a return storing back into the second storage zone of a remaining quantity of goods in the second loading aid will be obsolete.

Yet it is also favorable if, during the execution of a transfer request, multiple transfer goods are reloaded into one second loading aid each. In this way, the number of the second loading aids required for a subsequent picking process can be kept low. This ensures that a relative capacity utilization on the second conveying device(s) by this picking process is kept low, i.e. the second loading aids required for a picking process have only a relatively small share in a total capacity utilization on the second conveying device(s). It should be pointed out in this context that, in this variant embodiment, not all goods being stored in a second loading aid must form ordered goods when said second loading aid is transported to the picking station. Instead, it would also be conceivable that an ordered good, or multiple ordered goods, is/are reloaded from the second loading aid into or onto the target loading aid and a remaining quantity of goods, which has no reference to said picking order and remains in the second loading aid, is return-stored into the second storage zone.

It is further favorable if the target loading aid

-   -   functions as a dispatch loading aid, and the at least one         ordered good is loaded directly from the second loading aid into         or onto the dispatch loading aid, or     -   functions as an interim loading aid, and the at least one         ordered good is reloaded from the second loading aid into or         onto the interim loading aid and afterwards into or onto a         dispatch loading aid.

The use of an interim loading aid can facilitate the picking process, in particular when many dispatch loading aids of different kinds are loaded with ordered goods. The use of a (uniform) interim loading aid ensures that the picking process at the picking station, i.e. the loading of the interim loading aid with ordered goods, can be harmonized and simplified.

In another favorable variant of the storage and order-picking system, the first loading aid is structured differently from the second loading aid. In this way, the first loading aids provided for the first storage zone can be readily used for the longer-term storing of goods, whereas the second loading aids provided in the second storage zone can be readily used for the rather short-term storing of goods.

It is further favorable if the first loading aid is selected from the group: container, tray or cardboard box, wherein the loading aid comprises a floor with a receiving location on its upper side, on which a plurality of goods, or transfer goods, can be placed, and has a transport surface on its lower side, by which the first loading aid is transportable on (a) first conveying device(s), as well as comprises side walls rising up from the floor. This enables the first loading aid to receive, in particular, multiple goods, or transfer goods.

Yet it is also advantageous if the first loading aid is configured as a mobile shelf unit, which comprises shelves with respectively at least one receiving location in storage planes located on top of one another, on which receiving location at least one good, or transfer good, can be placed. In particular, the first loading aid configured as a mobile shelf unit may comprise shelves with respectively at least one receiving location in storage planes located on top of one another, on which receiving location at least one transfer good, preferably a plurality of transfer goods, can be placed. In this way, a plurality of transfer goods can be transported at once. The number of journeys needed for a transfer request can thus be kept low.

In another advantageous embodiment of the storage and order-picking system, the at least one second loading aid is configured as a hanging bag, or comprises such a hanging bag. This enables the picking process to be executed efficiently and quickly.

It is further favorable if the storage and order-picking system has a sorting device arranged along the route of the second conveying device(s), which sorting device is configured for bringing ordered goods into a specifiable sequence. In this way, the picking process can be simplified. In particular, a sorting operation can take place in a single-stage or also multistage manner. The sorting device may be configured as a matrix sorter, for example. In addition to a sorting device, or instead of a sorting device, a sorting operation may also take place by an adequate removal of the ordered goods from the second storage zone, for example with the help of a conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner (for example with the help of a storage-and-retrieval unit or with the help of an autonomous industrial truck).

It is advantageous in addition if the first conveying device(s) and/or second conveying device(s) comprise(s) (a) fixed-installation conveying device(s) and/or autonomous industrial trucks and/or is/are made up of it/them. This enables the transport of the goods and/or transfer goods and/or ordered goods to be done in a flexible manner.

It is favorable if

-   -   the first storage zone comprises storage racks,     -   storage locations are provided in the storage racks, and     -   the first conveying device(s) comprise(s) a conveying vehicle         operated in an automated manner, which enables the out-feeding         of the first loading aid with the transfer goods. In this way, a         plurality of goods and/or transfer goods can be stored in the         first storage zone in a space-saving manner.

It is further favorable if the first conveying device(s)

-   -   comprise(s) a first conveying section for in-feeding the first         loading aid with (a) good(s) into the first storage zone and     -   a second conveying section for out-feeding a first loading aid         with (a) transfer good(s) from the first storage zone, and     -   the conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner also         enables the in-feeding of the first loading aid with the good(s)         into a storage location.

This enables goods to be in-fed into the first storage zone and transfer goods to be out-fed from the first storage zone. To that end, also a joint conveying section, instead of separate conveying sections, may be provided, which joint conveying section is operated bidirectionally.

Furthermore, it is favorable if the conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner

-   -   is displaceable in front of the storage locations along a rack         aisle and     -   is equipped with a load suspension device for in-feeding a first         loading aid with (a) good(s) into a storage location and/or for         out-feeding the first loading aid with the transfer goods from a         storage location and     -   is configured as a railborne storage-and-retrieval unit or as an         autonomous industrial truck.

The measures proposed ensure that the goods can be in-fed in an automated manner and/or the transfer goods can be out-fed in an automated manner.

It is advantageous if

-   -   the shelf units are configured as mobile shelf units which         function as first loading aids, and     -   the conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner is         configured as an autonomous industrial truck, and the mobile         shelf units are transportable by the autonomous industrial         truck.

In this way, a plurality of transfer goods can be transported at once. The number of journeys needed for a picking order can thus be kept low.

It is favorable in addition if the second storage zone comprises overhead storage conveyors, and

-   I) the second conveying device(s) comprise(s) overhead transport     conveyors, which are connected, in terms of conveyor technology,     with the overhead storage conveyors and enable the in-feeding of the     second loading aid with the transfer good(s) into the second storage     zone and/or the out-feeding of the second loading aid with the     ordered good(s) from the second storage zone and/or -   II) the second conveying device(s) comprise(s) a conveying vehicle     operated in an automated manner, which enables the in-feeding of the     second loading aid with the transfer good(s) into the second storage     zone and/or the out-feeding of the second loading aid with the     ordered good(s) from the second storage zone.

The measures proposed ensure that the transfer goods can be in-fed in an automated manner and/or the ordered goods can be out-fed in an automated manner. In the case I), (a) fixed-installation conveying device(s) is/are provided to that end, in the case II), (a) non-fixed-installation conveying device(s) is/are provided to that end.

It is favorable if, in the case II), the conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner

-   -   is displaceable in front of the storage locations along a rack         aisle and     -   is equipped with a load suspension device for in-feeding the         second loading aid with the transfer good(s) into the overhead         storage conveyor and/or for out-feeding the second loading aid         with the ordered good(s) from the overhead storage conveyor and     -   is configured as a railborne storage-and-retrieval unit or as an         autonomous industrial truck.

The measures proposed ensure that the transfer goods can be in-fed into the second storage zone in an automated manner and/or the ordered goods can be out-fed from the second storage zone in an automated manner.

It is furthermore advantageous if

-   -   the overhead storage conveyors are configured so as to be mobile         and/or transportable, and     -   the conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner, in the         case II), is configured as an autonomous industrial truck, and a         mobile overhead storage conveyor is transportable by the         autonomous industrial truck.

In this way, a plurality of transfer goods, or ordered goods, can be transported at once. The number of journeys needed for a rearranging process, or a picking order, can thus be kept low. A mobile and/or transportable overhead storage conveyor is, in particular, formed by a suspension rod, which can be manipulated by the autonomous industrial truck.

It is particularly advantageous if the autonomous industrial truck is configured both for transporting the mobile shelf units and for transporting the mobile overhead storage conveyors. The first and second conveying devices are, in this case, (at least partially) configured identical, and the autonomous industrial trucks can thus be used in a particularly flexible manner A joining point between the stationary conveying device(s) and the autonomous industrial trucks may in particular be formed by a location of the stationary conveying device(s) (e.g. roller conveyor for first loading aids or overhead conveyor for second loading aids), from which location first loading aids or second loading aids are loaded onto autonomous industrial trucks of the above-mentioned kind, which can transport both first and second loading aids.

It should be noted in this context that the variants and advantages disclosed in relation to the storage and order-picking system presented equally relate to the order-picking method presented, and vice versa.

For the purpose of a better understanding of the invention, the latter will be elucidated in more detail by means of the figures below.

In a strongly simplified, schematic depiction, each figure shows as follows:

FIG. 1 an embodiment of a schematically-depicted storage and order-picking system with a first and second storage zone;

FIG. 2 an exemplary (mobile) shelf unit in an oblique view;

FIG. 3 an exemplary, mobile overhead storage conveyor in an oblique view and

FIG. 4 an exemplary and schematically-depicted autonomous industrial truck.

First of all, it is to be noted that, in the different embodiments described, equal parts are provided with equal reference numbers and/or equal component designations, where the disclosures contained in the entire description may be analogously transferred to equal parts with equal reference numbers and/or equal component designations. Moreover, the specifications of location, such as at the top, at the bottom, at the side, chosen in the description refer to the directly described and depicted figure and in case of a change of position, and these specifications of location are to be analogously transferred to the new position.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary storage and order-picking system 1 in a schematized plan view. The storage and order-picking system 1 comprises a building 2 as well as a gate at the first goods acceptance zone 3 and a gate at the second goods transfer zone 4.

There are three first sections 5 a, 5 a′ and 5 a″ of (a) first conveying device(s) in the area of the goods acceptance zone 3. The first section 5 a of the first conveying device(s) connects the goods acceptance zone 3 with a first robot 6 a. To that end, a first unloading supply position 7 is arranged at the end of the first section 5 a of the first conveying device(s), in this example.

The other first sections 5 a′, 5 a″ of the first conveying device(s) connect the first robot 6 a with the first storage zone 8. To that end, a second unloading supply position 9 is arranged at the start of the first section 5 a′ of the first conveying device(s), and a third unloading supply position 10 is arranged at the start of the first section 5 a″ of the first conveying device(s), in this example. The first storage zone 8 comprises multiple storage racks 11, as well as storage-and-retrieval units 12 a and 12 b, which travel in rack aisles running between the storage racks 11. The first robot 6 a, the first unloading supply position 7, the second unloading supply position 9 and the third unloading supply position 10 form, in particular, an unloading station 13 operated in an automated manner. Also conceivable is an unloading station (not shown) which, while comprising the first unloading supply position 7, the second unloading supply position 9 and the third unloading supply position 10, comprises no first robot 6 a. The first robot 6 a is then replaced by a person. The unloading can therefore be carried out automatically and/or manually (in particular in a computer-aided manner).

At the end of the rack aisles which is located opposite the first sections 5 a′, 5 a″ of the first conveying device(s), a second section 5 b of the first conveying device(s) is arranged, which leads to a second robot 6 b. To that end, a first reloading supply position 14 is arranged at the end of the second section 5 b of the first conveying device(s), in this example.

In the range of action of the second robot 6 b, also a first section 15 a of (a) second conveying device(s) is arranged, which connects the second robot 6 b, in terms of conveyor technology, with a second storage zone 16 with multiple overhead storage conveyors 17. To that end, a second reloading supply position 18 is arranged at the start of the first section 15 a of the second conveying device(s), is in this example. The second robot 6 b, the first reloading supply position 14 and the second reloading supply position 18 form, in particular, a reloading station 19 operated in an automated manner. Also conceivable is a reloading station (not shown) which comprises the first reloading supply position 14 and the second reloading supply position 18, but no second robot 6 b. The second robot 6 b is then replaced by a person. The reloading can therefore be carried out automatically and/or manually (in particular in a computer-aided manner).

Further, the second conveying device(s) comprise(s) a second section 15 b, which connects the second storage zone 16 with a third robot 6 c. To that end, a first order-picking supply position 20 is arranged at the end of the second section 15 b of the second conveying device(s), in this example. The first section 15 a of the second conveying device(s) and the second section 15 b of the second conveying device(s) are configured as overhead transport conveyors. Also the overhead storage conveyor 17 is not necessarily configured only for storing goods 21 a . . . 21 d but may also be configured for transporting same.

Finally, the storage and order-picking system 1 comprises (a) third conveying device(s) 22, which connect(s) the third robot 6 c with the goods transfer zone 4. To that end, a second order-picking supply position 23 is arranged at the start of the third conveying device(s) 22, in this example. The third robot 6 c, the first order-picking supply position 20 and the second order-picking supply position 23 form, in particular, a picking station 24 operated in an automated manner. Also conceivable is a picking station (not shown) which comprises the first order-picking supply position 20 and the second order-picking supply position 23, but no third robot 6 c. The third robot 6 c is then replaced by a person. The order picking can therefore be carried out automatically and/or manually (in particular in a computer-aided manner).

Along the route of the second conveying device(s) 15 a, 15 b, also an optional sorting device 25 may be arranged in order to bring ordered goods 26 a into a specifiable sequence.

The functioning of the storage and order-picking system 1 depicted in FIG. 1 is as follows:

Goods 21 a . . . 21 d are delivered at the goods acceptance zone 3 and loaded onto the first section 5 a of the first conveying device(s). The goods 21 a . . . 21 d are transported to the unloading station 13 on the first section 5 a of the first conveying device(s) and supplied there, specifically at the first unloading supply position 7. Described below is the embodiment according to which the unloading station 13 comprises the first robot 6 a. The goods 21 a . . . 21 d are reloaded, by the first robot 6 a, from the first section 5 a of the first conveying device(s) onto the first section 5 a′ or 5 a″ of the first conveying device(s), specifically into or onto a first loading aid 27 a, which is provisioned at the third unloading supply position 10. With the help of the storage-and-retrieval units 12 a and 12 b, the first loading aid 27 a is in-fed into one of the storage racks 11. The first loading aids 27 a, 27 b respectively receive a plurality of goods 21 a . . . 21 d and are, in this example, respectively configured so as to be different from a hanging bag. For example, the first loading aids 27 a, 27 b are configured as a container, tray or cardboard box. In the first storage zone 8, generally, goods 21 a . . . 21 d of different types of good are in-fed. The totality of the types of good in-fed corresponds to a line of goods available.

As is apparent in FIG. 1, the goods 21 a . . . 21 d can be delivered separated or in/on delivery goods carriers 28 (delivery bundles, for example pallets, cardboard box with goods). The goods 21 a . . . 21 d can be separated in the course of the in-feeding process, yet this is not mandatory. Also the reloading into or onto a first loading aid 27 a is not mandatory, but it would also be conceivable to in-feed the delivery goods carrier 28 directly in the first storage zone 8. The delivery goods carrier 28 then takes the place of a first loading aid 27 a, 27 b.

In the second storage zone 16, the goods 21 e are stored in second loading aids 29 a, 29 b, which are, in this example, respectively configured as a hanging bag. When a picking order for picking ordered goods is obtained, the ordered goods 26 a required for this picking order are ascertained. Subsequently, said ordered goods 26 a are out-fed from the second storage zone 16 and loaded into or onto a target loading aid 30 on the basis of the picking order. Specifically, a hanging bag 29 c with the ordered good(s) 26 a is conveyed to the picking station 24 to that end and provisioned at the first order-picking supply position 20. Described below is the embodiment according to which the picking station 24 comprises the third robot 6 c. The ordered good(s) 26 a contained in the hanging bag 29 c is/are reloaded, by the third robot 6 c, from the hanging bag 29 c into the target loading aid 30, which is provisioned at the second order-picking supply position 23. Subsequently, the target loading aid 30 is conveyed via the third conveying device(s) 22 to the goods transfer zone 4 and loaded, there, into a truck, for example.

In the example presented, the target loading aid 30 functions as a dispatch loading aid and thus serves to transport the ordered good(s) 26 a out of the storage and order-picking system 1. It would also be conceivable that the target loading aid 30 functions as an interim loading aid and therefore serves to interim-store (an) ordered good(s) 26 a that has/have been picked and is/are intended for dispatching before being reloaded into or onto a dispatch loading aid. Generally, the target loading aid 30 may be configured as a container, cardboard box, tray, pallet, bag (in particular a “polybag”), pouch, sack, hanging bag or shelf unit.

With the help of the optional sorting device 25, the ordered goods 26 a can be brought into in a specifiable sequence, unless such a sequence can be created already during the out-feeding of the ordered goods 26 a from the second storage zone 16.

If (a) good(s) 21 a . . . 21 e of a type of good in the second storage zone 16 is/are low in stock (e.g. when the number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good in the second storage zone 16 falls below a stock-threshold value), a transfer or rearrangement request (rearrangement command) for reloading multiple transfer goods 31 of said type of good from a first loading aid 27 a, 27 b into at least one hanging bag 29 a is generated, for example by a warehouse computer 32. On the basis of this transfer request, at least one first loading aid 27 a, 27 b with the required transfer goods 31 is subsequently out-fed from the first storage zone 8, specifically with the help of one of the storage-and-retrieval units 12 a, 12 b. Afterwards, the loading aid 27 a, 27 b with the required transfer goods 31 is loaded onto the second section 5 b of the first conveying device(s) and transported by same to the reloading station 19 and specifically provisioned at the first reloading supply position 14 (see the transfer good(s) 31 at the first reloading supply position 14 in FIG. 1). Described below is the embodiment according to which the reloading station 19 comprises the second robot 6 b. The transfer goods 31 required in the second storage zone 16 are removed, by the second robot 6 b, from the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b and loaded into a hanging bag 29 a, which is provisioned at the second reloading supply position 18. Finally, the hanging bag 29 a is transported via the first section 15 a of the second conveying device(s) into the second storage zone 16 and in-fed there into one of the overhead storage conveyors 17.

This procedure ensures that a specific minimum number of goods 21 a . . . 21 e of a specific type of good is in stock in the second storage zone 16 at all times. Advantageously, the stock threshold value is set so as to enable a picking process of an average scope to be executed without a transfer request for goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good being required for this if the stock of goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good is above the stock-threshold value at the beginning of the picking process. In other words, the picking process can be executed without goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good having to be reloaded into the second storage zone 16.

During the execution of the transfer request, the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is fully or partially unloaded (and after the execution of the transfer request is in a fully or partially unloaded state), depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to a type of good reaches (and/or falls below or rises above) a threshold value.

Variant Embodiment I

For example, the parameter allocated to a type of good may be a rate of turnover of a type of good (occurring in the second storage zone 16), and the threshold value may be a rate-of-turnover threshold value, which subdivides the line of goods into a share of types of good with a high rate of turnover (fast-moving consumer goods) and a share of types of good with a low rate of turnover (slow-moving consumer goods). The first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is, in this variant, (at all times) fully unloaded during execution of a transfer request if the respective type of good belongs to the share of the line of goods available with a high rate of turnover (i.e. to the fast-moving consumer goods) which are above a rate-of-turnover threshold value.

If (a) transfer good(s) 31 and/or the type of good of the transfer good(s) 31 belong(s) to the share of the line of goods available with a low rate of turnover (i.e. to the slow-moving consumer goods) which are below the rate-of-turnover threshold value, the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b, during execution of a transfer request,

-   i) is only fully unloaded if a target number of transfer goods 31 to     be reloaded is larger than the number, or equal to the number, of     the goods 21 a . . . 21 e located in the first loading aid 27 a, 27     b and -   ii) is partially unloaded if a target number of transfer goods 31 to     be reloaded is smaller than the number of goods 21 a . . . 21 e     located in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b.

Therefore, the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is not always fully unloaded during execution of a transfer request if the respective type of good, in the cases i) and ii), belongs to the share of the line of goods available with a low rate of turnover (slow-moving consumer goods) which are below the rate-of-turnover threshold value. The first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is only fully unloaded if a target number of transfer goods 31 to be reloaded is (coincidentally) larger than the number, or equal to the number, of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e/transfer goods 31 located in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b.

On the one hand, the measures proposed advantageously result in the number of the reloading operations at the reloading station 19 being kept relatively low for transfer goods 31 with a high rate of turnover (fast-moving consumer goods), as either the requested number of transfer goods 31 is reloaded from the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b into the second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c, or a higher number. On the other hand, the second storage zone 16 is not overly strained by ordered goods with a low rate of turnover, which are only rarely requested by a customer (slow-moving consumer goods).

The number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged can be determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of this type of good, number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good in the second storage zone 16.

In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged is higher in goods 21 a . . . 21 e with a high rate of turnover (fast-moving consumer goods) than in goods 21 a . . . 21 e with a low rate of turnover (slow-moving consumer goods). Accordingly, few reloading operations, measured against the number of transfer goods 31, take place at the reloading station 19 for goods 21 a . . . 21 e with a high rate of turnover, whereas many reloading operations, measured against the number of transfer goods 31, take place at the reloading station 19 for goods 21 a . . . 21 e with a low rate of turnover. Alternatively or additionally, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged can be determined by means of the number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good in the second storage zone 16.

In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged is high if the warehouse stock of the respective type of good (i.e. the number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e of the respective type of good) in the second storage zone 16 is low. In contrast to this, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged is low if the stock level of the respective type of good in the second storage zone 16 is high. In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged can be determined by the warehouse computer 32.

Variant Embodiment II

The parameter allocated to a type of good may also be a target number of transfer goods 31 of a type of good, which is to be transferred from the first storage zone 8 into the second storage zone 16, and the threshold value may be a rearrangement threshold value, from which a first loading aid 27 a, 27 b loaded with goods 21 a . . . 21 e of said type of good is fully unloaded. For the transfer request, once again, a target number of transfer goods 31 of the respective type of good to be reloaded is determined, in particular by the warehouse computer 32. The actual number of the actually reloaded transfer goods 31 corresponds to the target number if the target number is smaller, or equal to, the rearrangement threshold value, and the actual number of the actually reloaded transfer goods 31 corresponds to the total number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e located in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b if the target number is above said rearrangement threshold value. In the storage and order-picking system 1, at least one rearrangement threshold value SW_(Umlager) referring or convertible to the number of goods exists, for which the following is true:

SW _(Umlager) <n _(Waren)−1

wherein n_(Waren) specifies the number of goods 21 a . . . 21 e respectively being stored in or on these first loading aids 27 a, 27 b.

In this embodiment of the order-picking method proposed, a first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is therefore fully unloaded whenever the target number is (coincidentally) close to the number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e being stored in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b. Accordingly, a minor and non-requested excess quantity of transfer goods 31 are accepted into the second storage zone 16 instead of return-storing these into the first storage zone 8. This prevents the second section 5 b of the first conveying device(s) from being excessively strained by the return storing of first loading aids 27 a, 27 b into the first storage zone 8.

Here, the above-mentioned rule can be followed by the requesting or the executing system, i.e. by adequate specification by the warehouse computer 32 or by checking the specification at the reloading station 19. If the rule is implemented by the reloading station 19 (in particular by the second robot 6 b), the warehouse computer 32 need not have any information on the number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e being stored in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b. If, in contrast, the warehouse computer 32 has information on the number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e being stored in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b, the above-mentioned rule can, in principle, also be carried out by the warehouse computer 32 itself, whereby a strain, in terms of control technology, on the reloading station 19 is reduced.

Generally, the rearrangement threshold value can be specified directly as a number of goods 21 a . . . 21 e, yet the rearrangement threshold value could also be specified as a percentage. For the execution of the above-mentioned rule, the percentage rearrangement threshold value is multiplied by the respective number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e being stored in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b in order to obtain an absolute value for the rearrangement threshold value. Accordingly, a percentage rearrangement threshold value is an example of a rearrangement threshold value convertible to the number of goods.

The number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged can, once again, be determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of this type of good, number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good in the second storage zone 16.

In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged is higher in goods 21 a . . . 21 e with a high rate of turnover (fast-moving consumer goods) than in goods 21 a . . . 21 e with a low rate of turnover (slow-moving consumer goods). Accordingly, few reloading operations, measured against the number of transfer goods 31, take place at the reloading station 19 for goods 21 a . . . 21 e with a high rate of turnover, whereas many reloading operations, measured against the number of transfer goods 31, take place at the reloading station 19 for goods 21 a . . . 21 e with a low rate of turnover. Alternatively or additionally, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged can be determined by means of the number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good in the second storage zone 16. In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged is high if the warehouse stock of the respective type of good (i.e. the number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e of the respective type of good) in the second storage zone 16 is low. In contrast to this, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged is low if the stock level of the respective type of good in the second storage zone 16 is high. In particular, the number and/or target number of the transfer goods 31 to be rearranged can be determined by the warehouse computer 32.

It is advantageous if the rearrangement threshold value is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of the type of good, total capacity in the second storage zone 16, remaining capacity in the second storage zone 16, provisioning time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) 31 from the first storage zone 8. In this way, the processes during the transfer of the transfer good(s) 31 from the first storage zone 8 into the second storage zone 16 can be optimized.

In particular,

-   -   the rearrangement threshold value for a type of good with a         first rate of turnover is lower than for a type of good with a         smaller, second rate of turnover and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value for a second storage zone 16         with a first total capacity is lower than for a second storage         zone 16 with a smaller, second total capacity and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value for a first remaining capacity         in the second storage zone 16 is lower than for a smaller,         second remaining capacity in the second storage zone 16 and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value for a first provisioning time         during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) 31 from the first         storage zone 8 is lower than for a shorter, second provisioning         time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) 31 from the         first storage zone 8.

Here, it is also of advantage if

-   -   the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the rate of         turnover of the type of good increases and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the remaining         capacity in the second storage zone 16 increases and/or     -   the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the provisioning         time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) 31 from the         first storage zone 8 increases, and vice versa.

In both variant embodiments I and II, the fact that a first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is fully or partially unloaded during the execution of a transfer execution does not depend on whether the same number of goods 21 a . . . 21 e are coincidentally stored in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b as were requested by the transfer request, or more goods 21 a . . . 21 e than were requested by the transfer request, but on whether or not said threshold value is reached. Accordingly, a possible return conveying back into the first storage zone 8 of a remaining quantity of goods 21 a . . . 21 e remaining in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b equally does not depend on whether the same number of goods 21 a . . . 21 e are coincidentally stored in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b as were requested by the transfer request, or more goods 21 a . . . 21 e than were requested by the transfer request. Rather, the full unloading of the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b and a return storing back into the first storage zone 8 associated with it, if applicable, of a remaining quantity of goods 21 a . . . 21 e remaining in the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is done in a deterministic manner. The processes running between the first storage zone 8 and the second storage zone 16 are therefore easier to plan and foresee than this is the case in the prior art.

This finds its expression, for example, in the fact that a probability P for a full unloading of the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b (or a group of first loading aids 27 a, 27 b, e.g. a group which is involved in a transfer request) fits the constraint

$P > \frac{1}{n_{Waren}}$

wherein n_(Waren) specifies the number of the goods 21 a . . . 21 e being stored in or on this (these) first loading aid(s) 27 a, 27 b. In more general terms, this means

$P > {\frac{k}{n_{Waren}}k} \geq {1\left( {{{z.B.k} = 1},1} \right)}$

The above constraints describe a full unloading of the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b that is targeted and not dependent on coincidence.

It would also be conceivable that a probability P for a full unloading of the first loading aids 27 a, 27 b which are used for storing the line of goods fits the constraint

$P > \frac{n_{LHM1}}{n_{Waren}}$

wherein n_(LHM1) specifies the number of first loading aids 27 a, 27 b used for storing the line of goods and n_(Waren) the number of goods 21 a . . . 21 e being stored in or on these first loading aids 27 a, 27 b. In more general terms, this means

$P > {{k \cdot \frac{n_{LHM1}}{n_{Waren}}}k} \geq {1\left( {{{z.B.k} = 1},1} \right)}$

Also these formulae describe a full unloading of the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b which is targeted and not dependent on coincidence, here, however, referring to the total line of goods.

In another variant, a probability P for a full unloading of the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b fits the constraint

$\frac{n_{LHM1vollst}}{n_{LHM1}} > {{k \cdot \frac{n_{LHM1}}{n_{Waren}}}k} \geq {1\left( {{{z.B.k} = 1},1} \right)}$

wherein n_(LHM1vollst) specifies the number of fully unloaded first loading aids 27 a, 27 b (in a period of time t), n_(LHM1) the number of first loading aids 27 a, 27 b involved in a transfer request (in this period of time t) and n_(Waren) the number of goods 21 a . . . 21 e being stored in or on these first loading aids 27 a, 27 b involved in a transfer request (in this period of time t).

In this variant embodiment, reference is made to the reloading point (i.e. to the reloading station 19) and/or to the reloading operations actually performed. The period of time t should be selected to be sufficiently long, e.g. t=1 h or t=1 day.

It is generally of advantage if a setting to a partial or full unloading for a majority of types of good of the line of goods is maintained for a specified period of time, or for a specified number of transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good. Accordingly, a decision, once made, will be maintained for longer, whereby the probability for a full unloading of the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is equally increased. The longer said decision is maintained, the higher also said probability for the full unloading. The period of time may be, for example, 10 minutes, the number e.g. 10 transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good.

It is also of advantage if a setting to a partial or full unloading for a type of good is maintained for a specified period of time, or for a specified number of transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good. Also in this case, a decision, once made, will be maintained for longer, whereby the probability for a full unloading of the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is equally increased. However, the decision refers to a specific type of good, and not to a majority of types of good of the line of goods. The longer said decision is maintained, the higher, once again, said probability for the full unloading. In this variant, too, the period of time may be, for example, 10 minutes, the number e.g. 10 transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good.

Furthermore, it is of advantage if a setting to a partial or full unloading applies to all first loading aids 27 a, 27 b which are required for the execution of a transfer request. If a transfer request relates to multiple first loading aids 27 a, 27 b, all but one are fully unloaded. With regard to the remaining, last first loading aid 27 a, 27 b, the above setting applies. This means that the remaining, last first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is fully or partially unloaded during the execution of the transfer request, depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to a type of good reaches (and/or falls below or rises above) a threshold value. The full unloading of the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b and a return storing back into the first storage zone 8 associated with it, if applicable, of the remaining quantity of goods 21 a . . . 21 e remaining in or on a first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is done, again, in a deterministic, and not in a random, manner.

It is generally conceivable that, during execution of a transfer request, the content of the first loading aid 27 a, 27 b is divided between multiple second loading aids 29 a . . . 29 c. This ensures that the order-picking method can also be executed when the holding capacity of the second loading aids 29 a . . . 29 c is small compared to the holding capacity of the first loading aids 27 a, 27 b. The total unloading process for a first loading aid 27 a, 27 b may also relate to multiple transfer requests issued at separate times.

It is generally conceivable that, during the execution of a transfer request, one piece of (a) transfer good(s) 31 is respectively reloaded into one second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c each. In this way, a subsequent picking process can be simplified, in particular if, as in the example depicted, this picking process is carried out using a robot 6 c. If a large number of goods 21 a . . . 21 e are stored in a second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c, the selection and removal of a specific article by a robot 6 c is particularly challenging in terms of technology. In addition, also a return storing back into the second storage zone 16 of a remaining quantity of (a) good(s) 21 a . . . 21 e in the second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c will be obsolete.

Yet, alternatively, it is also conceivable that, during the execution of a transfer request, multiple transfer goods 31 are reloaded into one second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c each. In this way, the number of the second loading aids 29 a . . . 29 c required for a picking process, and thus a capacity utilization on the second conveying device(s) 15 a, 15 b, can be kept low.

The transfer request is advantageously generated and executed without reference to, and independent of, a picking order. The process for picking ordered goods into or onto a target loading aid 30 will then run parallel (and independent in terms of control technology) to the process for rearranging the transfer goods 31 from the first storage zone 8 into the second storage zone 16. Yet the two processes are influenced by the fact that a loading of ordered goods of a specific type of good leads to a lower warehouse stock of goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good in the second storage zone 16, whereby, as described above, a transfer request is caused. If, in contrast, there is a bottleneck of goods 21 a . . . 21 e of a specific type of good in the second storage zone 11 due to a longer absence of rearranging processes of the transfer goods 31 from the first storage zone 8 into the second storage zone 11, a picking order can, under certain circumstances, not be executed.

For the controlling of the above-mentioned processes, the warehouse computer 32 for generating a transfer or rearrangement request for rearranging multiple transfer goods 31 of a type of good from the first storage zone 8 into the second storage zone 16 when the goods 21 a . . . 21 e of this type of good are low in stock in the second storage zone 16 is provided in FIG. 1, as well as the order-processing computer 33 for acquiring an order for picking at least one ordered good 26 a and for ascertaining the ordered good(s) 26 a required for this picking order. Here, the warehouse computer 32 can control the storage-and-retrieval units 12 a, 12 b, the second section 5 b of the first conveying device(s) and the reloading station 19 operated in an automated manner, in particular the second robot 6 b, such as this is symbolized in FIG. 1 by the two dotted arrows on the left, which point away from the area of the warehouse computer 32. The order-processing computer 33 can control the overhead storage conveyor 17, the second section 15 b of the second conveying device(s) 15 b and the picking station 24 operated in an automated manner, in particular the third robot 6 c, such as this is symbolized in FIG. 1 by the two dotted arrows on the right, which point away from the area of the order-processing computer 33. The warehouse computer 32 and the order-processing computer 33 may also, as depicted in FIG. 1, be integrated in a joint warehouse and order-processing computer 34. In this case, the warehouse computer 32 and the order-processing computer 33 may be part of a software, which runs in the joint warehouse and order-processing computer 34.

It should be noted in this context that the hanging bag 29 b in FIG. 1 is depicted in the actual position (namely suspended), whereas the hanging bags 29 a and 29 c are depicted rotated into the image plane in order to be able to better depict the content of the hanging bags 29 a and 29 c, i.e. the good(s) 21 e and the ordered good(s) 26 a. In addition, it should be noted that, although, in the examples shown, reference is made to hanging bags 29 a . . . 29 c, also suspended carriers with hanging articles can be stored and transported in the second storage zone 16 and on the second conveying device(s) 15 a, 15 b.

In the example depicted, the second storage zone 16 comprises overhead storage conveyors 17 and the second conveying device(s) 15 a, 15 b overhead transport conveyors, which are connected, in terms of conveyor technology, with the overhead storage conveyors 17 and enable the in-feeding of the second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c with the transfer good(s) 31 into the second storage zone 16 and/or the out-feeding of the second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c with the ordered good(s) 26 a from the second storage zone 16.

Alternatively or additionally, it would also be conceivable that the second conveying device(s) 15 a, 15 b comprise(s) a conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner 12 a, 12 b, which enables the in-feeding of the second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c with the transfer good(s) 31 into the second storage zone 16 and/or the out-feeding of the second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c with the ordered good(s) 26 a from the second storage zone 16. In particular, the conveying vehicle 12 a, 12 b operated in an automated manner may be configured as a railborne storage-and-retrieval unit, such as this is also the case in the first storage zone 8. This storage-and-retrieval unit 12 a, 12 b may be displaceable in front of the storage locations along a rack aisle and be equipped with a load suspension device for in-feeding the second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c with the transfer good(s) 31 into the overhead storage conveyor 17 and/or for out-feeding the second loading aid 29 a . . . 29 c with the ordered good(s) 26 a from the overhead storage conveyor 17.

Further, three autonomous industrial trucks 35 a . . . 35 c are depicted by way of example in FIG. 1 in the area of the storage and order-picking system 1.

With the help of the autonomous industrial truck 35 a, (an) ordered good(s) 26 b, for example, can be transported directly from the goods acceptance zone 3 to the goods transfer zone 4 (and not removed from the first storage zone 8 or the second storage zone 16). In the example shown, this/these ordered good(s) 26 b therefore form(s) (a) so-called “cross-docking good(s).” In particular, such ordered goods 26 b may be intended for the intermediate trade or end sellers (“retail”) and ordered goods 26 a from the second storage zone 16 may be intended for the end customer (“e-commerce”).

It is also conceivable that ordered goods 26 c are transported directly from the first storage zone 8 to the picking station 24 or to the goods transfer zone 4, i.e. by bypassing the second storage zone 16, such as this is depicted, for example, in FIG. 1 for the autonomous industrial truck 35 b.

It is further conceivable that the storage and order-picking system 1 also comprises different picking stations 24 especially tailored to the needs of the intermediate trade/end seller and of the end customer, which are coupled to the second storage zone 16 via the second conveying device(s) 15 b. Orders by the intermediate trade/end seller are comprehensive and often contain many ordered goods 26 a . . . 26 c of the same type of good, whereas orders by the end customers are less comprehensive and contain few ordered goods 26 a . . . 26 c of the same type of good.

Yet, self-evidently, it would also be possible for the autonomous industrial trucks 35 a . . . 35 c to be used for in-feeding goods 21 a . . . 21 e into the first storage zone 8 or for in-feeding transfer goods 31 into the second storage zone 16 and/or for out-feeding transfer goods 31 from the first storage zone 8 or for out-feeding ordered goods 26 a from the second storage zone 16. The first storage zone 8 and/or the second storage zone 16 can then be equipped with adequate transfer stations (not depicted), which enable the transfer of first loading aids 27 a, 27 b into the first storage zone 8, the transfer of second loading aids 29 a . . . 29 c into the second storage zone 16, the acceptance of first loading aids 27 a, 27 b from the first storage zone 8 or the acceptance of second loading aids 29 a . . . 29 c from the second storage zone 16.

Specifically, with the help of the autonomous industrial truck 35 c, first loading aids 27 a, 27 b can be out-fed from the first storage zone 8 and provisioned at the first reloading supply position 14 and/or first loading aids 27 a, 27 b can be in-fed into the first storage zone 8. The storage-and-retrieval units 12 a, 12 b will then be obsolete. If the second loading aids 29 a . . . 29 c, with the help of the autonomous industrial truck 35 a . . . 35 c, can be in-fed into the second storage zone 16, the first section 15 a of the second conveying device(s) will be obsolete. If the second loading aids 29 a . . . 29 c, with the help of the autonomous industrial truck 35 a . . . 35 c, can be out-fed from the second storage zone 16 and transported to the picking station 24, the second section 15 b of the second conveying device(s) will be obsolete.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a first loading aid 27 c, which is configured as a mobile shelf unit. The mobile shelf unit 27 c comprises respectively at least one receiving location 36 in shelves located on top of one another. A plurality of goods 21 a . . . 21 e and/or transfer goods 31 can be placed in the mobile shelf unit 27 c. In addition, the mobile shelf unit 27 c has feet 37. It can therefore be lifted and transported using, for example, a fork of a forklift or of an autonomous industrial truck (see FIG. 4). It would also be conceivable that the shelf unit 27 c has rollers instead of the feet 37 in order to be able to transport it more easily. It would finally also be conceivable that the shelf unit depicted in FIG. 2 is not used as a mobile shelf unit 27 c but as a fixed-installation shelf unit in the first storage zone 8.

Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows an exemplary configuration with a floor 38, feet 37 arranged at same, side walls 39 rising up laterally at the floor 38 and an overhead storage conveyor and/or suspension rod 40 arranged between the side walls.

Due to the structure, the configuration depicted can be lifted and transported using, for example, a fork of a forklift or of an autonomous industrial truck (see FIG. 4). The overhead storage conveyor/suspension rod 40 is therefore configured so as to be mobile and/or transportable. It would also be conceivable that the configuration has rollers instead of the feet 37 in order to be able to transport it more easily. It would finally also be conceivable that the configuration depicted in FIG. 3 is not mobile but is installed in a fixed manner in the second storage zone 16.

FIG. 4 shows a schematically-depicted example of an autonomous industrial truck 35. The autonomous industrial truck 35 has an underframe 41, at which wheels 42, 43 are mounted so as to be rotatable. At least one of the wheels 42 is coupled with a drive 44 and at least one of the wheels 42 is steerable. According to the embodiment shown, both wheels 42 are coupled with the drive 44 and are driven by same, and both wheels 43 are steerable wheels. Yet the industrial truck 35 may also comprise only three wheels 42, 43, of which the wheels 42 are driven and the wheel 43 is steerable. In addition, the autonomous industrial truck 35 comprises a transport platform 45, on which the goods 21 a . . . 21 e, ordered goods 26 a . . . 26 c, transfer goods 31, mobile shelf units 27 c or mobile overhead storage conveyors 40 to be transported can be received temporarily. According to the embodiment shown, the transport platform 45 is readjustable relative to the underframe 41. To that end, the autonomous industrial truck 35 may have a vertical guidance 46 with the vertically displaceable transport platform 45 affixed to it, as it is depicted in FIG. 4. The transport platform 45 may also be shiftable laterally and/or forward in order to be able to more easily receive or put down goods 21 a . . . 21 e, ordered goods 26 a . . . 26 c, transfer goods 31, mobile shelf units 27 c or mobile overhead storage conveyors 40. Yet the transport platform 45 could also be a fixed, level surface at the autonomous industrial truck 35. Further, an autonomous industrial truck 35 also comprises a drive control 47 for receiving commands from a superordinate control 48 (which may be comprised, for example, by the warehouse computer 32 and order-processing computer 33) and for controlling/regulating the movements of the autonomous industrial truck 35. Finally, an autonomous industrial truck 35 comprises sensors 49 a, 49 b for capturing the environment of the autonomous industrial truck 35 and for spatial orientation. The autonomous industrial truck 35 depicted in FIG. 4 has steerable wheels 43. Yet these wheels will be obsolete to the extent that the autonomous industrial truck 35 has wheels with which also a lateral movement can be executed (e.g. Mecanum wheels). It would also be conceivable that, instead of a transport platform 45 or additionally to same, an overhead conveyor/suspension rod 40 is provided in order to out-feed ordered goods 26 a from the second storage zone 16 and in-feed transfer goods 31 into the second storage zone 16.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

-   1 storage and order-picking system -   2 building -   3 goods acceptance zone -   4 goods transfer zone -   5 a . . . 5 b first conveying device(s) -   6 a . . . 6 c robot -   7 first unloading supply position -   8 first storage zone -   9 second unloading supply position -   10 third unloading supply position -   11 storage rack -   12 a . . . 12 b storage-and-retrieval unit -   13 unloading station -   14 first reloading supply position -   15 a, 15 b second conveying device(s) -   16 second storage zone -   17 overhead storage conveyor -   18 second reloading supply position -   19 reloading station -   20 first order-picking supply position -   21 a . . . 21 e good(s) -   22 third conveying device(s) -   23 second order-picking supply position -   24 picking station -   25 sorting device -   26 a . . . 26 c ordered good(s) -   27 a . . . 27 c first loading aid -   28 delivery goods carrier -   29 a . . . 29 c second loading aid (hanging bag) -   30 target loading aid -   31 transfer good(s) -   32 warehouse computer -   33 order-processing computer -   34 joint warehouse and order-processing computer -   35 . . . 35 c autonomous industrial truck -   36 receiving location/storage location -   37 foot -   38 floor -   39 side wall -   40 mobile overhead storage conveyor/suspension rod -   41 underframe -   42 wheel (driven) -   43 wheel (steerable) -   44 drive -   45 transport platform -   46 vertical guidance -   47 drive control -   48 superordinate control -   49 a, 49 b sensor 

1. An order-picking method for picking at least one ordered good (26 a) into or onto a target loading aid (30), comprising the steps in-feeding goods (21 a . . . 21 e) of different types of good into a first storage zone (8) with the help of first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c), which respectively receive a plurality of goods (21 a . . . 21 e), wherein the totality of the types of good in-fed in the first storage zone (8) corresponds to a line of goods available, generating a transfer request for rearranging multiple transfer goods (31) of a type of good from the first storage zone (8) into a second storage zone (16) when the goods (21 a . . . 21 e) of this type of good are low in stock in the second storage zone (16), reloading the transfer goods (31) from a first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) into or onto at least one second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) and transporting the at least one second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) into the second storage zone (16) on the basis of the transfer request, obtaining a picking order for picking the at least one ordered good (26 a) and ascertaining the at least one ordered good (26 a) required for this picking order and out-feeding the at least one ordered good (26 a) from the second storage zone (16) and loading the at least one ordered good (26 a) into or onto the target loading aid (30) on the basis of the picking order, wherein during the execution of the transfer request, the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) is fully or partially unloaded, depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to a type of good reaches a threshold value.
 2. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a probability P for a full unloading of the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) fits the constraint $P > \frac{1}{n_{Waren}}$ wherein n_(Waren) specifies the number of goods (21 a . . . 21 e) being stored in or on this first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c).
 3. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a probability P for a full unloading of the first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c) used for storing the line of goods fits the constraint $P > \frac{n_{LHM1}}{n_{Waren}}$ wherein n_(LHM1) specifies the number of first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c) used for storing the line of goods and n_(Waren) the number of goods (21 a . . . 21 e) being stored in or on these first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c).
 4. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a probability P for a full unloading of the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) fits the constraint $\frac{n_{LHM1vollst}}{n_{LHM1}} > \frac{n_{LHM1}}{n_{Waren}}$ wherein n_(LHM1vollst) specifies the number of fully unloaded first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c), n_(LHM1) the number of first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c) involved in a transfer request, and n_(Waren) the number of goods (21 a . . . 21 e) being stored in or on these first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c) involved in a transfer request.
 5. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a setting to a partial or full unloading for a majority of types of good of the line of goods is maintained for a specified period of time, or for a specified number of transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good.
 6. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a setting to a partial or full unloading for a type of good is maintained for a specified period of time, or for a specified number of transfer requests occurring consecutively and relating to these types of good.
 7. The order-picking method according to claim 5, wherein a setting to a partial or full unloading applies to all first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c) which are required for the execution of a transfer request.
 8. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter allocated to a type of good forms part of the group: rate of turnover of the type of good, rate of turnover of the type of good in the second storage zone (16), number of transfer goods (30) of the type of good to be reloaded.
 9. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter allocated to a type of good is a rate of turnover of a type of good, the threshold value is a rate-of-turnover threshold value, which subdivides the line of goods into a share of types of good with a high rate of turnover and a share of types of good with a low rate of turnover, and the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) is fully unloaded during execution of a transfer request if the respective type of good belongs to the share of the line of goods available with a high rate of turnover which is above a rate-of-turnover threshold value.
 10. The order-picking method according to claim 9, wherein the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c), during execution of a transfer request, i) is only fully unloaded if a target number of transfer goods (31) to be reloaded is larger than the number, or equal to the number, of the goods (21 a . . . 21 e) located in the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c), and ii) is partially unloaded if a target number of transfer goods (31) to be reloaded is smaller than the number of the goods (21 a . . . 21 e) located in the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c), if the respective type of good, in the cases i) and ii), belongs to the share of the line of goods available with a low rate of turnover which is below the rate-of-turnover threshold value.
 11. The order-picking method according to claim 9, wherein the number and/or target number of the transfer goods (31) to be rearranged is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of this type of good, number of the goods of this type of good in the second storage zone (16).
 12. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter allocated to a type of good is a target number of transfer goods (31) of a type of good which is to be transferred from the first storage zone (8) into the second storage zone (16), the threshold value is a rearrangement threshold value, from which a first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) loaded with goods (21 a . . . 21 e) of said type of good is fully unloaded, a target number of transfer goods (31) of the respective type of good to be reloaded is determined for the transfer request, the actual number of the actually reloaded transfer goods (31) corresponds to the target number if the target number is smaller, or equal to, the rearrangement threshold value, and the actual number of the actually reloaded transfer goods (31) corresponds to the total number of the goods (21 a . . . 21 e) located in the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) if the target number is above said rearrangement threshold value and at least one rearrangement threshold value SW_(Umlager) referring or convertible to the number of goods exists, for which the following is true: SW _(Umlager) <n _(Waren)−1 wherein n_(Waren) specifies the number of goods (21 a . . . 21 e) respectively being stored in or on these first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c).
 13. The order-picking method according to claim 12, wherein the target number is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of this type of good, number of the goods (21 a . . . 21 e) of this type of good in the second storage zone (16).
 14. The order-picking method according to claim 12, wherein the rearrangement threshold value is determined by means of one parameter, or multiple parameters, from the group: rate of turnover of the type of good, total capacity in the second storage zone (16), remaining capacity in the second storage zone (16), provisioning time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) (31) from the first storage zone (8).
 15. The order-picking method according to claim 14, wherein the rearrangement threshold value for a type of good with a first rate of turnover is lower than for a type of good with a smaller, second rate of turnover and/or the rearrangement threshold value for a second storage zone (16) with a first total capacity is lower than for a second storage zone (16) with a smaller, second total capacity and/or the rearrangement threshold value for a first remaining capacity in the second storage zone (16) is lower than for a smaller, second remaining capacity in the second storage zone (16) and/or the rearrangement threshold value for a first provisioning time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) (31) from the first storage zone (8) is lower than for a shorter, second provisioning time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) (31) from the first storage zone (8).
 16. The order-picking method according to claim 14, wherein the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the rate of turnover of the type of good increases and/or the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the remaining capacity in the second storage zone (16) increases and/or the rearrangement threshold value is reduced if the provisioning time during the out-feeding of (a) transfer good(s) (31) from the first storage zone (8) increases, and vice versa.
 17. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) with the transfer goods (31) is conveyed from the first storage zone (8) to a reloading station (19) and provisioned at a first reloading supply position (14) of the reloading station (19) on the basis of the transfer request, and afterwards the transfer goods (31) are reloaded into or onto at least one second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c), which is provisioned at a second reloading supply position (18) of the reloading station (19).
 18. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the creation and/or execution of a transfer request is done without reference to a picking order.
 19. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein a transfer request for rearranging multiple transfer goods (31) of a type of good from a first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) into or onto at least one second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) is created when the number of the goods (21 a . . . 21 e) of this type of good in the second storage zone (16) falls below a stock-threshold value.
 20. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein, during execution of a transfer request, the content of the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) is divided between multiple second loading aids (29 a . . . 29 c).
 21. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein, during the execution of a transfer request, one piece of (a) transfer good(s) (31) is respectively reloaded into or onto one second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) each.
 22. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein, during the execution of a transfer request, multiple transfer goods (31) are respectively reloaded into or onto one second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) each.
 23. The order-picking method according to claim 1, wherein the target loading aid (30) functions as a dispatch loading aid, and the at least one ordered good (26 a) is loaded directly from the second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) into or onto the dispatch loading aid, or functions as an interim loading aid, and the at least one ordered good (26 a) is reloaded from the second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) into or onto the interim loading aid and afterwards into or onto a dispatch loading aid.
 24. A storage and order-picking system (1) for picking at least one ordered good (26 a) into or onto a target loading aid (30), comprising a first storage zone (8) for storing goods (21 a . . . 21 e) of different types of good with the help of first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c), in or on which respectively a plurality of goods (21 a . . . 21 e) are receivable, a second storage zone (16) for storing the goods (21 a . . . 21 e) of different types of good with the help of second loading aids (21 a . . . 21 c), a warehouse computer (32) for generating a transfer request for rearranging multiple transfer goods (31) of a type of good from the first storage zone (8) into the second storage zone (16) when the goods (21 a . . . 21 e) of this type of good are low in stock in the second storage zone (16), (a) first conveying device(s) (5 a . . . 5 b) for out-feeding the first loading aids (27 a . . . 27 c) with the transfer goods (31) from the first storage zone (8) on the basis of the transfer request, (a) second conveying device(s) (15 a, 15 b) for in-feeding the second loading aids (21 a . . . 21 c) with the transfer goods (31) into the second storage zone (16) on the basis of the transfer request and for out-feeding at least one ordered good (26 a), a reloading station (19), to which the first conveying device(s) (5 a . . . 5 b) and the second conveying device(s) (15 a, 15 b) are coupled and which enables the reloading, on the basis of the transfer request, of the transfer goods (31) from a first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) into or onto a second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) provisioned there, an order-processing computer (33) for acquiring an order for picking at least one ordered good (26 a) and for ascertaining the ordered good(s) (26 a) required for this picking order, a picking station (24), to which the second conveying device(s) (15 a, 15 b) is/are coupled and which enables the reloading, on the basis of the picking order, of the at least one ordered good (26 a) from a second loading aid (21 a . . . 21 c) into or onto a target loading aid (30) provisioned there, wherein the warehouse computer (32) or the reloading station (19) is configured to control the full or partial unloading of the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) during the execution of the transfer request, depending on whether a parameter which is allocated to a type of good reaches a threshold value.
 25. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 24, wherein the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) is structured differently from the second loading aid (21 a . . . 21 c).
 26. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 24, wherein the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) is selected from the group: container, tray or cardboard box, wherein the loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) comprises a floor with a receiving location on its upper side, on which a plurality of goods (21 a . . . 21 e), or transfer goods (31), can be placed, and has a transport surface on its lower side, by which the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) is transportable on (a) first conveying device(s) (5 a . . . 5 b), as well as comprises side walls rising up from the floor.
 27. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 24, wherein the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) is configured as a mobile shelf unit, which comprises shelves with respectively at least one receiving location (36) in storage planes located on top of one another, on which receiving location (36) at least one good (21 a . . . 21 e), or transfer good (31), can be placed.
 28. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 24, wherein the at least one second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) is configured as a hanging bag, or comprises such a hanging bag.
 29. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 24, comprising a sorting device (25) arranged along the route of the second conveying device(s) (15 a, 15 b), which sorting device (25) is configured to bring ordered goods (26 a) into a specifiable sequence.
 30. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 24, wherein the first conveying device(s) (5 a . . . 5 b) and/or second conveying device(s) (15 a, 15 b) comprise(s) (a) fixed-installation conveying device(s) and/or autonomous industrial trucks (35, 35 a . . . 35 c) and/or is/are made up of them.
 31. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 24, wherein the first storage zone (8) comprises storage racks (11), storage locations (36) are provided in the storage racks (11) and the first conveying device(s) (5 a . . . 5 b) comprise(s) a conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner (12 a, 12 b, 35, 35 a . . . 35 c), which enables the out-feeding of the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) with the transfer goods (31).
 32. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 31, wherein the first conveying device(s) (5 a . . . 5 b) comprise(s) a first conveying section (5 a, 5 a′, 5 a″) for in-feeding the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) with (a) good(s) (21 a . . . 21 e) into the first storage zone (8) and a second conveying section (5 b) for out-feeding a first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) with (a) transfer good(s) (31) from the first storage zone (10) and the conveying vehicle (12 a, 12 b, 35, 35 a . . . 35 c) operated in an automated manner also enables the in-feeding of the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) with the good(s) (21 a . . . 21 e) into a storage location (36).
 33. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 31, wherein the conveying vehicle (12 a, 12 b, 35, 35 a . . . 35 c) operated in an automated manner is displaceable in front of the storage locations (36) along a rack aisle and is equipped with a load suspension device (45) for in-feeding a first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) with (a) good(s) (21 a . . . 21 e) into a storage location (36) and/or for out-feeding the first loading aid (27 a . . . 27 c) with the transfer goods (31) from a storage location (36) and is configured as a railborne storage-and-retrieval unit (12 a, 12 b) or as an autonomous industrial truck (35, 35 a . . . 35 c).
 34. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 31, wherein the shelf units are configured as mobile shelf units, which function as first loading aids (27 c), and the conveying vehicle (12 a, 12 b, 35, 35 a . . . 35 c) operated in an automated manner is configured as an autonomous industrial truck (35, 35 a . . . 35 c) and the mobile shelf units (27 c) are transportable by the autonomous industrial truck (35, 35 a . . . 35 c).
 35. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 24, wherein the second storage zone (16) comprises overhead storage conveyors (17) and I) the second conveying device(s) (15 a, 15 b) comprise(s) overhead transport conveyors, which are connected, in terms of conveyor technology, with the overhead storage conveyors (17) and enable the in-feeding of the second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) with the transfer good(s) (31) into the second storage zone (16) and/or the out-feeding of the second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) with the ordered good(s) (26 a) from the second storage zone (16) and/or II) the second conveying device(s) (15 a, 15 b) comprise(s) a conveying vehicle operated in an automated manner (12 a, 12 b, 35, 35 a . . . 35 c), which enables the in-feeding of the second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) with the transfer good(s) (31) into the second storage zone (16) and/or the out-feeding of the second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) with the ordered good(s) (26 a) from the second storage zone (16).
 36. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 35, wherein the conveying vehicle (12 a, 12 b, 35, 35 a . . . 35 c) operated in an automated manner, in the case II), is displaceable in front of the storage locations along a rack aisle and is equipped with a load suspension device (45) for in-feeding the second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) with the transfer good(s) (31) into the overhead storage conveyor (17) and/or for out-feeding the second loading aid (29 a . . . 29 c) with the ordered good(s) (26 a) from the overhead storage conveyor (17) and is configured as a railborne storage-and-retrieval unit (12 a, 12 b) or as an autonomous industrial truck (35, 35 a . . . 35 c).
 37. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 35, wherein the overhead storage conveyors (40) are configured so as to be mobile and/or transportable and the conveying vehicle (12 a, 12 b, 35, 35 a . . . 35 c) operated in an automated manner, in the case II), is configured as an autonomous industrial truck (35, 35 a . . . 35 c) and a mobile overhead storage conveyor (40) is transportable by the autonomous industrial truck (35, 35 a . . . 35 c).
 38. The storage and order-picking system (1) according to claim 34, wherein the autonomous industrial truck (35, 35 a . . . 35 c) is configured both for transporting the mobile shelf units (27 c) and for transporting the mobile overhead storage conveyors (40). 